<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You, Me &amp; the Kid Makes Three by Quokkasandnothingelse</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793154">You, Me &amp; the Kid Makes Three</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quokkasandnothingelse/pseuds/Quokkasandnothingelse'>Quokkasandnothingelse</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cassian is a much more measured person but fully capable of losing his shit when necessary, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I will hold onto an Andor-Erso family until the day I die, Jyn is kinda awkward at times but fiercely protective, Minor Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus, Minor Kylo Ren/Rey, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn, Minor Reylo, Rey Andor-Erso</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:41:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quokkasandnothingelse/pseuds/Quokkasandnothingelse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles where Cassian and Jyn are alive and happy and Rey is their daughter (because we all need something light and comforting right now).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cassian Andor &amp; Jyn Erso &amp; Rey, Cassian Andor &amp; Rey, Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Jyn Erso &amp; Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Troubleshooting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><strong>Housekeeping!</strong><br/>Honestly, this collection is basically the result of me being unhappy about Rey's parentage reveal and unhappy about Jyn &amp; Cassian's death (though for very different reasons), as well as pretty stressed by the state of the world right now, and trying to fix all three of those things by writing sweet, heart-warming drabbles about the Andor-Erso family (and eating <em>a lot</em> of tray-baked brownies, but that's besides the point).</p><p>1. Most fics will probably be Modern Setting, but some will be set in the Star Wars Universe, and there will also probably be a few curve balls thrown in there too. </p><p>2. This collection mainly focuses on the family dynamic between Jyn, Cassian &amp; Rey, so any ships other than Cassian/Jyn will be pretty minor. That said, I just wanna go on the record and say that I do ship Reylo, Stormpilot, SpiritAssassin, etc. so those are the ships that will probably crop up on occasion. I will say when that's the case in the notes at the beginning, so you can skip over if that doesn't float your boat. :) </p><p>3. I'm not too sure on a posting schedule yet because god knows life is a little erratic rn <strike>not to mention I also have another long-running fic that's well overdue an update</strike> but, in the words of every well-meaning fanfic author ever, I'll try not to leave it too long between updates. </p><p>4. I'm English - that's why I spell things like that.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Maybe we should just call Rey," Jyn says, resignedly.</p><p>"Absolutely not!" Cassian snaps. "We've piloted planes and diffused <em>bombs</em> for god's sake! We should be able to fix a <em>pinche</em> printer!"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jyn Erso is a capable, function adult. She has a house that she has not burnt to the ground, a husband that she has not driven mad, a daughter that she has not screwed up, and, even more impressively, several pot plants that she has not killed - yet.</p><p>In fact, not only is she a capable, functioning adult, but she's also a war hero, albeit a reluctant one. Both she and her husband have had long, successful careers in espionage, reaching the ranks of Sergeant and Captain respectively before their early retirement last month.</p><p>She <em>is</em> a capable, functioning adult. Or at least, that's what she's currently trying to convince herself.</p><p>"Now listen here," she says, glaring from her computer screen to the printer and back again, with a ferocity that has quelled men far bigger than herself. "We're going to try this one more time. And I would <em>appreciate</em> it if you would do what you were made for and print the damn form. Got it?" Naturally, neither the printer nor the computer respond, but Jyn takes their silence as an affirmation anyway. "Okay, file, print preview, select the right printer," she mutters to herself, clicking through the options. She pauses, the cursor hovering over the <em>Print</em> icon, before taking a deep breath and clicking it.</p><p>"YES!" she yells triumphantly, as the printer whirrs into life. But her feelings of victory are short-lived, as the form is only halfway through printing before the printer cuts out with a pathetic splutter, and an error message pops up on the screen. "NO! God<em>damnit<em>!"</em></em> Jyn curses, too frustrated to care that she's losing her shit at an inanimate object. "<em>Why</em>? What did I do to you?" Clearly, whatever she had done, it had been bad, as the printer responds by emitting one long, continuous beep, at a volume that would challenge any self-respecting fire alarm.</p><p>Jyn is two seconds away from launching the damn thing through the window, paper and all, when the door is thrown open and Cassian Andor charges in. "What's happening?" he yells. Jyn's response is barely distinguishable over the noise, but her expression and violent gestures communicate her feelings perfectly well. Cassian shoves the printer aside and wrenches the plug out of the socket. The printer emits one last mournful bleat and falls silent. "What did you do?" Cassian repeats.</p><p>"<em>Me</em>?" Jyn demands, outraged, her ears ringing slightly. "All <em>I</em> did was try to print a stupid document, but <em>apparently</em> that's too difficult for this bloody excuse for a printer!" Cassian rolls his eyes, exasperatedly.</p><p>"There's nothing wrong with the printer, Jyn," he says, in that tone he always uses when he thinks she's overreacting and is purposefully making an effort to be patient with her. "I only bought it last week."</p><p>"Well <em>something's</em> not right!" Jyn insists, gesturing to the error message on the screen.</p><p>"I can see that," Cassian agrees, an amused grin creeping across his face. Jyn glowers at him. Even after thirty odd years of marriage, Cassian's smile can still make her go weak at the knees. But not right now it doesn't.</p><p>"The insinuation being that something's not right with me then?" she asks, icily. Cassian doesn't deny it.</p><p>"I mean, you're not exactly good with technology, <em>mi vida</em>," he says. Jyn opens her mouth to demand examples - but her own treacherous mind supplies them for her: the mobile phone she broke within a week of getting it, the TV remote that can now only turn the volume up but not down, the smart fridge that they only had for three days before Jyn became infuriated with it and insisted on swapping it for a fridge that wasn't "a judgemental hunk of plastic".</p><p>"Fine," she says, instead, with forced calm. "You fix it then." Cassian pauses.</p><p>"What?" he asks.</p><p>"You heard me," Jyn says, grabbing the user manual off the desk and holding it out to him. "Since I'm clearly the problem here, you should have no problem fixing it." It's a challenge, and she knows Cassian recognises it as such, as his own smile falters for a brief moment.</p><p>"Sure," he says, reaching out to take the manual and shrugging like it's no big deal. "If you insist." Jyn merely pats him on the shoulder and leaves him to it, heading to the kitchen to make a much needed cup of tea.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <strong>* * * * *</strong>
  </p>
</div><p>Jyn's on her second cup of tea when she hears Cassian call for her to come back into the room.</p><p>It's only been half an hour but it looks like it's been the longest half hour of Cassian's life: his hair is sticking out from his head at all angles, which Jyn can only assume is due to him repeatedly running his hands through it, and his normally neat shirt now looks distinctly dishevelled: his sleeves are rolled up, his top few buttons are undone and it's come untucked at the back.</p><p>Under any other circumstance, Jyn may have been extremely interested in an obviously hot and bothered Cassian. But the way he's sitting on the floor staring at the printer and various pages from the user manual scattered around him with a slightly crazed look in his eye reminds Jyn a bit too much of a mad scientist for her to be comfortable with.</p><p>"I think I've fixed it," he tells her. "All the ink cartridges are full and inserted properly," he snaps the printer cover shut as he speaks, and Jyn notices with amusement that his hands are now covered in magenta, cyan and yellow splotches. "There's nothing jammed in the sheet feeder," he continues, gesturing to the neatly stacked paper in the paper feed. Jyn's eyes flicker to the paper she had managed to half-print earlier, which now lies in a crumpled and torn in the corner of the room. She wonders how long it took for him to wrestle it from the printer's grasp.</p><p>Cassian hauls himself to his feet and heads back to the computer. "Okay, everything's connected to the WiFi and the right printer is selected. So now, all we have to do..." he clicks <em>Print</em> and looks at the printer expectantly.</p><p>Nothing happens.</p><p>He clicks <em>Print</em> again, a frown slowly creasing his forehead.</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>"I don't understand!" he says, irritation clear in his voice. "I followed the manual!"</p><p>"It's okay," Jyn says, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder, comfortingly. As happy as she is to have proven that the printer is cursed and not her, she is a little disappointed that Cassian wasn't able to fix it: she does need that form printed. "It's a piece of shit printer."</p><p>But if thirty odd years of family board game sessions should have taught Jyn anything, it's that Cassian Andor does not easily admit defeat.</p><p>"Why. Won't. You. Print?" he grinds out through gritted teeth, furiously clicking the mouse. Suddenly, a dialogue box pops up: <em>Printing document 0/1</em>. "<em>Gracias a Dios</em>!" he exclaims in relief, grinning widely.</p><p>But Jyn knows this printer's game far too well to allow herself to feel victorious just yet. Sure enough, the printer remains silent, the paper unmoving - even as another dialogue box appears on the screen: <em>Printing complete</em>.</p><p>Cassian looks like he's having a minor stroke. He seizes the papers off the floor and starts rifling through them, barely glancing at one page before moving on to the next.</p><p>"Maybe we should just call Rey," Jyn says, resignedly.</p><p>"Absolutely not!" Cassian snaps. "We've piloted planes and diffused <em>bombs</em> for god's sake! We should be able to fix a <em>pinche</em> printer!"</p><p>"But -"</p><p>"No buts!" he cuts across her, thrusting the papers into her arms, now covered in colourful fingerprints. "We do not need to call our daughter every time we need to fix something!" He shoves the printer out of the way and reaches back down to unplug it again - only to get a mild electric shock from the outlet. He jerks his hand away, a string of Spanish curse words flowing from his mouth.</p><p>"I'm calling Rey," Jyn says, decisively.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <strong>* * * * *</strong>
  </p>
</div><p>For as long as Jyn can remember, Rey has always had a knack for taking things apart to see how they work - even long before she was able to put them back together again. Jyn's father, Galen, used to invite Rey to his workshop and show her all the things he was building, thrilled to finally have someone in the family interested in his line of expertise. Rey's three buns would bob enthusiastically as she nodded along, too young to really understand what he was saying, but thrilled to be included.</p><p>It did become a minor problem when she started taking things from around the house to investigate, such as the radio, the telephone and various lamps. The repairman merely scratched his head when Jyn presented him with a completely disassembled VCR player and said that he wouldn't even know where to begin with putting that back together. The constant cost of repairs and replacements started to take a financial toll - not to mention the emotional toll that Jyn and Cassian felt from living in perpetual terror that Rey would accidentally electrocute herself or blow something up. But they didn't wanted to discourage her interest, so they decided to divert it by making sure she had a constant supply of things that were already old and broken to play around with instead.</p><p>Right now, present Jyn is extremely grateful to past Jyn for making that call.</p><p>"What did you guys do to this thing?" Rey asks, digging around the control panel with a pair of tweezers and a mini screwdriver.</p><p>"Don't look at me, Cassian touched it last!" Jyn says, immediately.</p><p>"All I did was follow the instructions!" Cassian protests. "You broke it first!" Rey raises an eyebrow and gives them a sceptical look that's eerily reminiscent of her mother, but doesn't get involved. If the phrase "bickering like an old married couple" hadn't existed before Cassian and Jyn were married, it definitely would've been coined for them.</p><p>"Right," she says. "Well, whatever you did, you really buggered it. I'm almost impressed."</p><p>"Does that mean you can't fix it?" Jyn asks. Rey shoots her a grin that makes her look remarkably like her father.</p><p>"I didn't say that," she says, closing the panel up and pressing a button. There's an extended whirring sound before the printer chirps happily and then - <em>miraculously</em> - starts printing.</p><p>"<em>No mames</em>!" Cassian mutters.</p><p>"How did you do that?" Jyn demands.</p><p>"Will you understand if I tell you?" Rey asks. Jyn pauses.</p><p>"Fair point," she concedes.</p><p>"Sorry for dragging you all the way over here <em>mija</em>," Cassian says, meekly.</p><p>"Oh come on, it's fine," Rey waves her hand, brushing off his apology. "More than happy for an excuse to leave Finn and Poe's attempt at brunch - though I wouldn't say no if you offered me lunch and a lift back to campus?"</p><p>"You got it," Cassian agrees, readily. He reaches out a hand to ruffle her hair - but stops when he catches sight of his multicoloured skin. "Let me just wash my hands first," he grumbles, using his elbows to clumsily open the door and leaving the room.</p><p>"What are you printing anyway?" Rey asks, peering at the page emerging in the output tray.</p><p>"Ah just a tax form for Scarif City Council," Jyn says, pulling a face. "Nothing exciting."</p><p>"Huh," Rey nods, slowly. "You know you can just fill those in online, right?" An unpleasant chill creeps down Jyn's spine as the realisation sets in.</p><p>"I did not know that," she says, just as the paper finishes printing. The printer light blinks twice, clearly satisfied with a job well done. Jyn reaches down to take the paper and leans in close to it. "You motherfucker," she hisses.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don’t ask me what was meant to be wrong with the printer or what Rey did to fix it because it’ll only remind me of my own printer which works perfectly well but won’t wirelessly connect to my laptop for some reason known only to God and the Ancient Mayans god<em>dammit</em>–</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Child's First X-Wing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Papa!" Rey crows, launching herself into his arms. "Did you see me fly? Did you?" </p><p>"<em>You</em> were flying the X-wing?" Cassian asks, too surprised to say anything else. "<em>She</em> was flying the X-wing?" he repeats, anger growing in his voice, as Bodhi also clambers out of the hatch, his legs trembling so violently that he has to grab onto a wing to stop himself from falling over. </p><p>"She made very convincing arguments," the thoroughly exhausted pilot mutters. </p><p>"She's <em>ten</em>!" Cassian yells, exasperatedly, crouching down to check Rey for injuries, ignoring her protests.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>set around 25ABY in an alternate Star Wars Universe where the entire crew of Rogue One lived and Scarif was not destroyed because gritty realism has no place in this fluff fic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bodhi Rook pulls the tarpaulin off the old X-wing with a flourish and marvels at the machine beneath. He couldn't believe his luck when he stumbled across it in the jungles of Endor, and believed his luck even less when Cassian allowed him to tow it behind them back to Scarif. </p><p>He hasn't been able to work on it since they returned: Mon Mothma has ordered them to build up a rebel base on Scarif, but most of the infrastructure built by the Empire was destroyed in the Battle of Scarif and any remaining buildings were left to fall into ruin when the planet was abandoned shortly after. Therefore, all hands were needed for construction and Bodhi knew that asking for time off to fix up an old X-wing may be pushing his luck a little too far. </p><p>But today is his day off and he has nowhere else to be and nothing else to do than work on the starship. </p><p>He places a tentative hand on one of the wings. It's warm and seems to hum with life under his palm. He'll never get over his appreciation for these ships - it's one of the main reasons he became a pilot. The hatch is a little rusty, but opens easily enough, emitting a brief burst of dust. Bodhi coughs a little and waits for the cloud to disperse before hopping in and starting his inspection. </p><p>The laser cannons are beyond repair, as is the hyperdrive, and try as he might, he can't unlock the S-foils so they remain constantly in the "X" attack position that the ships got their name from. However, the thrust generators have nothing beyond some surface damage, and the power generator, arguably the most important part of making the ship fly, is in surprisingly good condition - which is fortunate, as he's fairly sure Novaldex don't manufacture 04-z cryogenic power generators any more. </p><p>The X-wing would probably be useless in a fight situation, but he's fairly sure that it should have no problem with on-planet flying. If he finds the right astromech droid, he may even be able to pilot it through the Shield Gate - though it'll be a while before the ship is in a good enough condition for that.  </p><p>"Wow!" He hears a little voice exclaim from outside, and he looks up just in time to see Rey clamber in through the hatch to join him in the cockpit. "Is this really an X-wing starfighter?" she asks, her eyes wide. "Like the one Luke Skywalker flew?" </p><p>"It's not the same one - this is a T-65B X-wing," Bodhi says. "It's actually a classic, I haven't seen one of these since the Galactic Civil War."</p><p>Rey nods and looks around her, in utter awe. She's grown so much in the years that Bodhi's known her, but she's still small for her age and sometimes it's hard to remember that she's no longer a lost, terrified six-year-old clinging to her mother's side or hiding behind her father's legs, but an extremely head-strong and curious ten-year-old. To be fair, he's not the only one guilty of this, as he frequently hears her declaring "I'm ten years old, not a child!" whenever she feels she's being unfairly babied.</p><p>"Can it still fly?" she asks, clambering into the pilot's seat, her legs not yet long enough to touch the ground and swinging freely. Bodhi leans over and flicks a switch, grinning at the look on Rey's face as the ship comes to life around her. </p><p>"Definitely," he says. </p><p>"Can <em>I</em> try flying it?" she asks. Bodhi feels his grin slip a little. </p><p>"Oh I don't know..." he begins, but Rey cuts across him. </p><p>"<em>Please</em> Uncle Bodhi? We can fly it together!" she begs, clasping her hands together and looking up at him, imploringly. "<em>Please</em>?" Bodhi sighs. He knows it can't be much fun being the only child in a settlement full of adults who are too busy to pay much attention to her. He also knows that he would've jumped at any chance to pilot a ship when he was her age. Above all, he knows that he's going to give in, but Rey hammers the final nail in the coffin of his resolve anyway. "I just wanna be like you and Papa!" </p><p>Oh kriff it all. </p><p>"Okay, but only for five minutes!" he agrees. "We go straight up and then come straight back down. Understand?"</p><p>"Yessir!" she agrees, grabbing the old helmet off the floor and jamming it eagerly over her head, showering herself in a waterfall of dust. It's far too big for her and obscures her vision completely. </p><p>"Okay, maybe we don't need the helmet," Bodhi says, taking it off her. Rey frowns and opens her mouth, no doubt to argue that Luke Skywalker always wore a helmet, but Bodhi jumps in quickly. "Rule number one of flying an X-wing: always make sure you can see. Right, Pilot?" This seems to placate her, as she closes her mouth and nods agreeably. Bodhi helps her strap herself in, tightening them more than was probably necessary, before closing the hatch and sealing them both in. </p><p>He initiates the flight sequence, feeling the engine whirr into life beneath his feet, and hopes that this isn't where his luck runs out. </p><p>
  <strong>* * * * *</strong>
</p><p>Cassian Andor feels a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck and shift uncomfortably. He's grateful for the tarpaulin someone has strung up to act as shelter from the midday sun, but it does little to protect them from the tropical planet's stifling heat. It's a wonder he didn't notice the climate the last time he was here - though admittedly he had been a bit preoccupied. He drags a dirty rag across his neck and forehead and tries to direct his attention back to the construction plans for some houses that he's meant to be reviewing. Next to him, Baze Malbus also seems to be struggling with the heat as he's actually taken off his massive jumpsuit and heavy weaponry. Slowly, the retired assassin pulls a pencil from behind his ear and slowly scrawls a little note onto the plans: <em>Priority 1</em><em>. Build aircon. </em></p><p>Cassian nods approvingly and scribbles beneath it: <em>Priority 2</em><em>. Consider convincing Mon Motha to build rebel base underwater instead. </em>Baze cracks a grin, but before he can add a third note, they're interrupted by a soft humming noise. It's too mechanical to be an insect, but too light to come from the heavy machinery at work around them. Cassian's fairly sure he's heard this noise before and closes his eyes as he listens, trying to place it. Whatever it is, it's getting louder as it draws closer, and now there's a slight breeze accompanying it, as if something is whipping through the air towards them at break-neck speed.</p><p>Cassian's eyes snap open.</p><p>"Get down!" he yells, barely managing to throw himself to the floor, dragging Baze with him, before the X-wing soars over them, one of its wings cutting through the space where their heads had just been. Baze spits out a mouthful of dirt. </p><p>"What the kriff is Bodhi doing?" he growls. Cassian has no idea and can only watch in disbelief as the low-flying ship continues its path of destruction, blasting through anything in its way, and sending animals and humans alike ducking for cover. All except one human. </p><p>"Chirrut!" Baze bellows, scrambling to his feet and racing towards him, though there's no way he can reach him before the ship does. Chirrut Îmwe doesn't move, but turns his head slowly in the X-wing's direction. As if met by an invisible resistance, the ship slows to a juttering halt, stopping inches away from the blind Jedi's face before dropping heavily to the ground with a thud, its engines smoking slightly. </p><p>Cassian finally pulls himself up and charges over, fully expecting Bodhi to have suffered some kind of heart attack or at least be severely incapacitated to have been flying that poorly. He wrenches the hatch open - and promptly has his second shock of the day. </p><p>"Papa!" Rey crows, launching herself into his arms. "Did you see me fly? Did you?" </p><p>"<em>You</em> were flying the X-wing?" Cassian asks, too surprised to say anything else. "<em>She</em> was flying the X-wing?" he repeats, anger growing in his voice, as Bodhi also clambers out of the hatch, his legs trembling so violently that he has to grab onto a wing to stop himself from falling over. </p><p>"She made very convincing arguments," the thoroughly exhausted pilot mutters. </p><p>"She's <em>ten</em>!" Cassian yells, exasperatedly, crouching down to check Rey for injuries, ignoring her protests. The smoke has blackened her white tunic and dirtied her face, and there's a violently purple bruise blossoming on her pale forehead, but she seems otherwise unharmed. He sighs in relief. </p><p>"Ahh Cassian relax," Baze booms, significantly calmer now that Chirrut is out of immediate danger. "We all have to fly a ship for the first time at some point!" </p><p>"Yes but under proper supervision and not in some beat-up old X-wing!" Cassian shoots back, gesturing to the ship in question, which creaks mournfully. </p><p>"Technically, she was supervised - I was with her," Bodhi points out. </p><p>"And a great help you were!" Cassian retorts. "Chirrut was almost killed!" <em>More importantly, Rey could have been killed!</em> his mind rages, silently. </p><p>"I almost killed you?" Rey asks, her excitement melting into horror as she turns to Chirrut. </p><p>"No little one, I was never in any danger," Chirrut reassures her, kindly. "For I am one with the Force -"</p><p>"- and the Force is with you, yes, we get it," Cassian snaps. Chirrut doesn't reply, but the corners of his mouth quirk upwards a little. The amusement is evident on Baze's face, and even Bodhi's legs have stopped shaking quite so much. Clearly the three men think he's overreacting, and he supposes that compared to his normal levels of discipline when it comes to his daughter, he is. Cassian takes orders and authority very seriously, which is partly what makes him such an excellent soldier, but Rey could destroy an entire city and he would still let her have ice-cream for dessert. Not this time though. This time, his mind is flooded with thoughts of Rey burning to a crisp inside an old X-wing, and the accompanying, gut-wrenching fear of what could easily have happened strengthens his resolve. </p><p>Luckily, sprinting towards them is the one person who seems to be completely immune to Rey's puppy dog eyes: her mother. </p><p>"What happened?" Jyn Erso demands, skidding to a halt next to them and staring at the wreckage and the trail of carnage leading up to it . </p><p>"Mama!" Rey says, wriggling out of Cassian's hold and throwing her arms around Jyn's waist. Jyn looks down at her daughter, smoothing her hair out of her face and frowning as she uncovers the bruise, standing boldly out against her skin like a badge of honour. </p><p>"How did you do this, Stardust?" she asks, though the wariness in her voice suggests that she already knows she's not going to like the answer. </p><p>"Uncle Bodhi let me fly the X-wing!" Rey replies, happily. </p><p>"He <em>what</em>?" Jyn's eyes flash as she rounds on Bodhi, who takes an involuntary step backwards; Jyn may be small, but she has the fury of someone twice her size. Cassian quickly steps between them. </p><p>"Jyn it's alright, I'll handle this," he reassures her, before turning to Bodhi. "You. Come here," he orders, beckoning with an ominous finger, as Bodhi begins shuffling around the X-wing away from him. "Come <em>here</em> - I just want to talk!" Bodhi respects Cassian greatly both as a leader and a friend, but he's not stupid and promptly takes off running in the opposite direction - his Commanding Officer hot on his heels.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For what it's worth, despite being yelled at by Cassian in front of the whole Rebel Alliance and the extra repairs he now has to make to the X-wing, Bodhi still thinks it's all worth it after Rey later finds him to thank him and tell him that she thinks he's "much cooler than Luke Skywalker". </p><p>Also, massive shoutout to Wookiepedia for educating my ignorant self on X-wings.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Zero Chill</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey pulls back and gives her father a hurt look. "I can't <em>believe</em> you weren't going to tell me you were in a car crash!" </p><p>"We <em>were</em> going to tell you - we just didn't want to worry you over nothing." Cassian pauses, taking in her appearance. "Is that blood?" he demands.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This ended up being a bit longer than anticipated and I'm still not sure if I'm completely satisfied with it but you didn't click on this story for plot and intrigue (I hope!). </p><p>Implied Stormpilot as well as a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' reference to potential Reylo.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jyn and Cassian are pretty much the coolest parents Rey could've dreamed of - and as an orphan growing up in a shitty foster home in the middle of the Jakku desert, she had once dreamed that her parents would be literal wizards who rode dragons and burnt the whole of Jakku to the ground.</p><p>They are not, however, the most chill parents. </p><p>One time, she sneezed when talking to Cassian on the phone and he left work immediately, citing a family emergency, and drove all the way to her dorm just to take her temperature and make her soup like his <em>abuelita</em> had done for him. Another time, she was shopping with Jyn when some guy who was more oaf than man smacked her hard on the arse, declaring "what a juicy peach". Two seconds later, the guy was on the ground, clutching his now heavily bleeding nose, which had caught the full force of Jyn Erso's fist smashing into it.</p><p>Zero chill. </p><p>To be fair, Rey hadn't been a particularly chill child either, panicking if she was ever left alone for too long and rarely being able to sleep through the night without waking up due to a nightmare. Neither Jyn nor Cassian had ever got annoyed with her for her lack of chill, and had always responded with understanding: stroking her hair until she fell back to sleep, no matter how late, always taking her with them, no matter how inconvenient, and <em>always</em> keeping their promises, no matter how little. Due to their patience, as well as time and a set routine, Rey steadily became more chill as she grew older, and when the time came to move out to go to university, she had been more excited than anxious.</p><p>Both Cassian and Jyn also relaxed considerably over time - but they still have the propensity to freak out at the smallest thing. If Rey <em>hadn't</em> spent the first six years of her life in a shitty foster home in the middle of the Jakku desert, she might have found their lack of chill a little overbearing. As it is, she always appreciates a reminder that she's loved, and a part of her recognises that her parents have abandonment issues of their own that they're still working through. </p><p>So when a game of beer pong at a house party gets too competitive and ends with Rey falling down the stairs, twisting her ankle and giving herself a nosebleed in the process, one thought rings clear in her alcohol-clouded brain. </p><p>"I need to call my parents!" she declares, as she hobbles through the crowds of people to get to her bag, her head tilted back and holding her nose, blood gushing down her face. </p><p>"We will call your parents," her best friend Finn reassures her as he follows her, trying desperately to hold a bag of frozen peas to her swollen ankle. "Just please sit down, Peanut." </p><p>"But my bag!" Rey protests, ignoring him. Suddenly, her other best friend Poe's head pops up amid the throng of people in front of them.</p><p>"I got your bag Rey!" he calls, holding her bag over his head. </p><p>"<em>Gracias </em>-hic-<em> güey</em>!" Rey yells, happily. </p><p>"I'm too Guatemalan for your Mexican slang, Andor!" Poe returns, only staggering a little as he carves a path towards them. </p><p>"We can talk about the differences in Latin American slang later!" Finn interrupts them, straightening up and putting his hands on his hips, trying to look stern even as he sways slightly. "But for god's sake, <em>sit down</em> - Not on the floor!" he adds quickly, as Rey goes to obey. </p><p>"Then where?" she asks, genuinely confused. Finn stops for a minute, looking at the masses of people at various levels of intoxication around them, before he makes a split-second decision and reaches down to sling Rey over his shoulder. Rey squawks in surprise, blood dripping down the back of Finn's shirt, but Finn doesn't seem to notice. </p><p>"Gangway!" he yells, as he ploughs unforgivingly through the party goers. "Hey watch it Abrams, I see you!" he adds, aiming a kick at a nineteen-year-old drunk student who lurches dangerously close to them. They make it to an available chair and Finn lowers Rey into it with as much care as someone who's six beers and a vodka shot deep is able to do. Poe fights his way to join them and Rey grabs at the bag he holds out to her. Finn crouches down next to her and finally manages to clasp the ice pack against her ankle. Rey hisses slightly as the freezing plastic touches her bare skin but otherwise ignores him, having finally found her phone and freed it from the confines of her bag. </p><p>"Rey for god's sake you're bleeding everywhere - where the hell is Rose?" Poe says, craning his head to try and spot the fourth member of their group. </p><p>"Sorry, I'm here!" Rose squeaks, bursting suddenly through a wall of people. "I would've been here a lot sooner but you kept moving! Anyway!" she holds up a damp cloth triumphantly and presses it clumsily against Rey's face, managing to cover both of her eyes as well as her nose. </p><p>"Ow!" Rey yelps, almost dropping her phone. "Rose! Fim <em>frying</em> fo fone my farents!" </p><p>"Alright, relax, <em>I'll </em>phone your parents," Poe says, wrestling her phone out of her hands and tapping at the screen, screwing up his face in concentration. "Rey - why do you have Ben Solo saved in your contacts?" Rey glares at him, and even though half her face is still covered by a damp cloth, Poe takes the hint. "Gotcha, will ask you about that later," he mutters, scrolling down to Cassian's number and holding the phone to Rey's ear. Rey bats away Rose, who's still trying to dab at her nose with a cloth and pushing her head to lean against the chair's headrest. </p><p>Cassian takes an unusually long time to pick up, answering just when Rey suspects it's going to ring out. </p><p>"<em>Hola mija</em>," he says, and Rey's not so drunk that she doesn't pick up on his slightly flustered tone. "Everything okay?" </p><p>"Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine but I fell down the stairs," Rey gabbles. "I'm fine but I've twisted my ankle and have a nosebleed - but I'm fine..." she trails off, waiting for the barrage of questions about if she's keeping her ankle elevated, if she's got people looking after her, if she's sure she doesn't need to go to the emergency room. </p><p>"Okay <em>mija</em>, glad you're okay! Take it easy and have a fun evening," Cassian says, and Rey nearly drops the phone in surprise. She puts one hand over her other ear and presses the phone against her head, listening intently. She thinks she can make out voices and some beeping in the background of the call, but it's difficult to hear over the noise of Sean Paul blasting over the speakers.</p><p>"SHUT UP!" she bellows to the room around her, deafening Poe, Finn and Rose but having very little impact on the general volume. "Papá," she says, returning to the call. "Is everything okay?" Cassian pauses. </p><p>"Everything's fine," he says, with forced levity. Rey doesn't believe him. </p><p>"Where are you? What are those noises?" she presses. Another pause. </p><p>"Okay <em>mija</em>, it's nothing to worry about and we're both fine but we're in the ER. Jyn and I were driving and another car clipped us at an intersection. But we're both fine, please don't worry," he says. Rey feels the colour drain from her face, the alcohol draining from her brain along with it. </p><p>"Which ER?" she demands. </p><p>"<em>Mija</em>, you really don't need -"</p><p>"<em>Which</em> ER?" </p><p>"Scarif General Hospital," Cassian tells her, reluctantly. "But you really don't have to come -" Rey doesn't wait for him to finish the sentence before she ends the call and struggles to her feet. </p><p>"Whoa, whoa, why are you getting up? You were sitting down so well!" Finn says, mournfully, valiantly trying to keep the ice pack pressed against her ankle. </p><p>"I need to go to the hospital," Rey says. </p><p>"What? Your ankle's not <em>that</em> bad..." Poe begins.</p><p>"Not for that!" Rey says, impatiently. "My parents were in a car crash."</p><p>"Ah right," Poe says. "Okay, let's go!" </p><p>"What?" Rey looks at him. "You don't have to come with me."</p><p>"Sure we do," Finn insists and Rose nods enthusiastically. </p><p>"Thank you," Rey says, the alcohol heightening her emotions and making her tear up with gratitude. "Anyone sober enough to drive?" </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Forty-five minutes and a mildly expensive taxi ride later, Rey hobbles through the doors of Scarif General Hospital, Finn, Poe and Rose in tow. Rose has helped her lace her boots tightly enough around the ankle to provide some sort of extra support, but it still twinges when she puts weight on it. Still, the residual alcohol and her concern for her parents mean that Rey easily disregards the pain and moves surprisingly quickly down the harshly lit corridor. </p><p>"Hi," she says, banging her hands on the front desk and startling the nurse manning it. "I'm here to see my parents? Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso?" The nurse blinks at her, clearly surprised that she's not here to be seen herself, despite the dried blood on her face and shirt and the pronounced limp. "They just had a car crash? One's kinda short - well, I guess they're both kinda short. He's Mexican? She's English? Has an accent like mine?" she continues, her volume growing with her frustration. "I'm sorry - do you actually work here?" she snaps, finally. </p><p>"Sorry, it's been a long night," Poe says, elbowing her out of the way and smiling charmingly at the nurse. "We'd really appreciate it if you'd check?" The nurse nods and seems to pull herself together, tapping away at her computer, flushed and a little flustered. It has obviously been a long night for her too. </p><p>"Rey!" Rey whirls around to see Cassian coming through the ER towards her, a bandage wrapped around his hand but otherwise unharmed. </p><p>"Papá!" she says in relief, hopping over to him and hugging him tightly. "Are you okay?" </p><p>"I'm okay," he says, hugging her back. "Hey guys. Thanks for coming," he greets Poe, Finn and Rose over her shoulder.</p><p>"Hey Mr. Andor," Finn says, as Poe and Rose wave at him. "Glad that you're okay!" </p><p>"Never mind that!" Rey pulls back and gives her father a hurt look. "I can't <em>believe</em> you weren't going to tell me you were in a car crash!" </p><p>"We <em>were</em> going to tell you - we just didn't want to worry you over nothing." Cassian pauses, taking in her appearance. "Is that blood?" he demands. Rey ignores him. </p><p>"Where's Mum?" she asks. </p><p>"She's fine - the airbag deployed a little late, and she hit her head, so they're just running some scans..." Cassian begins, but his soothing tone does little to stop the panic that Rey feels slowly set in.</p><p>"For god's sake, I <em>knew</em> that mechanic was sketchy, I knew I should've checked over that car!" she rants, pacing agitatedly and stumbling a little on her bad ankle. </p><p>"Okay Rey, maybe we should sit down," Rose says, catching her elbow and steering her firmly into a chair. Cassian wrinkles his nose in concern, but before he can say anything else, a tired looking doctor taps him on the shoulder.</p><p>"Mr Andor?" Cassian turns and Rey immediately goes to stand up again - stopped only by Rose and Finn's hands on her shoulders, holding her down. </p><p>"Yes?" Cassian asks. </p><p>"Everything looks normal on the scans - but we want to keep her in overnight for observation, just in case of a concussion."</p><p>"Can we see her?" Rey cuts in. The doctor looks wearily from Cassian to Rey, Rose, Poe and Finn hovering behind him. </p><p>"Family only, I'm afraid," he says. </p><p>"I'm her daughter!" Rey pipes up, immediately. </p><p>"Fine, you can go in," he agrees. He pauses, taking a closer look at her. "What the hell happened to you?"</p><p>"Hi there, we're the people who take care of her when things happen to her," Finn jumps in, quickly. "So, we should really go with her." The doctor rolls his eyes. </p><p>"You know what. It's three am and I still have five hours left before I can go home, you can all go in," he says. "<em>If</em> you let a nurse patch you up quickly," he adds, as Finn and Rose haul Rey to her feet. "You'll scare all the other patients." </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>"Mum!" Rey declares, using her crutches that a nurse has allowed her borrow to push open the door to Jyn's private room. Jyn looks up from the bed, her grumpy expression at being made to stay overnight at the hospital melting to one of surprise as Rey, Rose, Finn and Poe surge into her room.</p><p>"Stardust?" she blinks. "Why are you on crutches? Is everything okay?" </p><p>"Hi Ms Erso," Rose cuts in, quickly. "We hope you're feeling better - we got you these from the gift shop!"</p><p>"Oh!" Jyn's surprise grows as Finn and Poe promptly thrust a bouquet of flowers and a massive bar of chocolate at her. "Thank you, that's very kind - but I <em>am </em>fine." </p><p>"Seriously? You're in a <em>hospital bed </em>and your head is stitched up like Frankenstein!" Rey says exasperatedly, gesturing wildly with her crutch and narrowly missing a glass of water on the bedside table. </p><p>"For god's sake, it's five stitches Rey! The doctors are just being overly cautious," Jyn says dismissively. "Besides I thought we had agreed that <em>we wouldn't worry you over nothing</em>," she says, shooting a hard look at Cassian, who has stepped in to relieve her of the flowers and chocolate, using them to shield himself from his wife's glare.</p><p>"You really must've hit your head!" Rey snaps, pouting furiously. "What if <em>I </em>had been the one in the hospital bed and not told you? You guys would have freaked!" </p><p>"You're right <em>mija</em>, we're sorry," Cassian says in a pacifying tone. "We weren't trying to upset you - we were just trying to be more... cool?"</p><p>"Chill," Finn supplies, helpfully. </p><p>"Right, chill," he nods. "But we're your parents - it's <em>our job</em> to worry about you." </p><p>"And on that note, you still haven't said why you're on crutches!" Jyn shoots at Rey. Rey ignores her.</p><p>"But I can't help worrying about you too," she says, her voice small. </p><p>"I know, <em>mija</em>," Cassian squeezes her arm, comfortingly.  "Look, I need to go home and grab some stuff - would you like to stay here with Jyn while I'm gone?" Rey nods immediately, sniffing a little. Cassian smiles at her and heads to the door. Just as he leaves the room, Finn pulls a deck of cards from his coat pocket.</p><p>"Anyone know any good card games?"</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The room is quiet when Cassian returns. Empty and half-drunk plastic water bottles litter all the available surfaces, playing cards are scattered over the floor, and there's a big chunk missing from the massive bar of chocolate. He spots Rose first, curled up in a chair by the door, her hoodie pulled up over her head. Finn and Poe are stretched out on the sofa, Finn leaning against Poe's chest, Poe's head resting on the back of the sofa, his mouth wide open. Rey's crutches are propped against the wall, and Rey herself is on the bed, snuggled next to her mother, one arm slung protectively over her. Jyn is the only one still awake, gently stroking her daughter's hair.  </p><p>"Hey," Cassian greets her softly, bending down to kiss her head. "Are you alright? Want me to take them home so you can get some rest?" Jyn pauses, her eyes moving from his face to Rose, to Finn and Poe, and finally to her daughter next to her. </p><p>"Don't you dare," she says. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Who has the least chill in the Andor-Erso family? Answers on a comment card.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Stress Baking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jyn reaches out to place her hand over Rey's, gently but firmly halting her whisking. </p><p>"Stardust, you're stress baking," she says. </p><p>"What?" Rey looks at her mother like she's accused her of stealing the family fortune rather than excessive baking. "I don't stress bake!" </p><p>"Oh please, we still have buns from when you stress baked your way through your exams last term!" Jyn says. </p><p>"You're exaggerating!" Rey scoffs. Jyn raises an eyebrow and heads to the freezer, pulling out a ziploc bag full of frozen buns and holding it up for her to see.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <strong>I just want to say that I'm so pleasantly surprised and grateful for all the positive feedback this story has received! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to comment or leave kudos - and to anyone who has taken the time to read these ficlets... you're all welcome in this fluffy, protective bubble &lt;3 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>This story is inspired by my own quarantine-induced stress baking endeavours, as I've made four trays of brownies in as many weeks (which were all definitely consumed within a few days of making). </p><p>I do think that being raised by Jyn and Cassian would mean that Rey would be bilingual, and she and Cassian would probably just speak Spanish with each other - but as I don't know enough Spanish to write entire conversations between them without embarrassing myself, we'll just have to pretend that they're speaking in Spanish but we're reading it in English because it's being subtitled or something. </p><p>Also features SpiritAssasin, StormPilot and a relatively ambiguous reference to Reylo.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a pleasant surprise, but not particularly strange, when Rey drops by her parents' house one Sunday, unannounced with a tupperware box crammed with home-made double chocolate chip cookies. </p><p>When she appears again a few days later, asking if she can use their oven to make banana bread, as it's Finn and Poe's date night, and Poe has commandeered the kitchen she, Rose and Finn share to cook for his boyfriend, Jyn and Cassian are slightly perplexed but still don't think too much of it. </p><p>It's only when she shows up again a couple of days later with no fewer than four trays of brownies stacked in her arms that they begin to feel mildly concerned. </p><p>"Something's wrong," Jyn says, staring at the slice of banana bread on her plate. Lately, it feels like all they've been eating is banana bread and yet the loaf doesn't seem to get any smaller, as if it's regenerating overnight while they sleep. "She only bakes when there's something wrong."</p><p>"That's not necessarily true," Cassian says, dunking his fourth cookie of the day in his coffee. "She made those cupcakes for my birthday." </p><p>"Yes, but that was for a specific occasion," Jyn replies. "It was also a normal amount of cupcakes." </p><p>"Maybe it's one of her friend's birthdays?" Cassian suggests, maintaining his mellow tone. </p><p>"What - <em>all </em>of her friends?" Jyn demands. "Cassian, this is enough baked goods to feed an army!" </p><p>"Maybe it's for a party?"</p><p>"<em>Or</em>, much more probably, maybe there's something wrong!" Jyn snaps. </p><p>"Jyn, I'm sure she'd tell us if something was wrong," Cassian reminds her, patiently. "Rey knows she can talk to us. So will you please relax and eat your banana bread? You'll give yourself indigestion." Jyn huffs, but takes a sizeable bite of her slice of banana bread and chews viciously. </p><p>They sit in silence, munching on their respective sweet treats, until they suddenly hear the front door open and close with a bang. </p><p>"Who wants gingerbread?" Rey's voice calls, happily, not stopping for an answer and heading straight for the kitchen. Jyn shoots a look that plainly says "nothing-wrong-my-arse" at her husband, who takes the time to swallow his mouthful of cookie before meeting her eyes. </p><p>"Maybe something is wrong," he says. </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Jyn is not a morning person. She's a hit-snooze-ten-times, hide-under-the-duvet kind of person. Cassian is the complete opposite and rises with the sun. But after almost three decades of marriage, they've long stopped trying to adjust to each other's sleeping patterns and instead treat each other's vastly different circadian rhythms with the same fond exasperation that they use for all their other quirks.</p><p>Yawning loudly, she pads into the kitchen and makes a beeline for the coffee that Cassian has left out for her, as he always does. Eyes still blurry, she pours herself a cup, managing to spill half of it onto the counter in her carelessness. Jyn ignores it, not wake enough to stop and clean the mess up immediately, and brings the cup to her lips. </p><p>"Morning Mum!" Jyn jumps violently, almost throwing coffee everywhere as she whirls around to see Rey at the other side of the kitchen, enthusiastically whisking a bowl of something that vaguely resembles bright blue goo. </p><p>"Stardust?" Jyn asks, blinking. "What are you doing here? What time is it?"</p><p>"It's nine thirty," Rey says, pouring a generous amount of sugar into the bowl and continuing to whisk. "Papá let me in - I just wanted to get these done before work." </p><p>"Right... but here?" Jyn asks, still confused. </p><p>"Yeah, sorry - Rose and Finn have banned me from baking at home until we've managed to eat everything I've already made," Rey says. "I hope that's alright? I promise I'll clean up after myself." Jyn frowns, the potential mess not even vaguely registering on her list of current worries. She sets her coffee mug down on the counter and takes a deep breath. Tactfulness has always been Cassian's strong suit, not hers. She prefers asking direct questions and receiving direct answers, rather than wasting her time dancing vaguely around the issue. But she's had enough confrontations with teenage Rey to know that directness probably won't get her the answers she's looking for. </p><p>"Stardust, you know we always love having you here - but are you <em>sure</em> there's nothing going on?" she asks, carefully.  </p><p>"Going on? Like what?" Rey's tone remains casual, but her whisking becomes noticeably more erratic. </p><p>"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."</p><p>"Not that I can think of," Rey replies, with forced lightness. "Why do you ask?" Jyn reaches out to place her hand over Rey's, gently but firmly halting her whisking. </p><p>"Stardust, you're stress baking," she says. </p><p>"What?" Rey looks at her mother like she's accused her of stealing the family fortune rather than excessive baking. "I don't stress bake!" </p><p>"Oh please, we still have buns from when you stress baked your way through your exams last term!" Jyn says. </p><p>"You're exaggerating!" Rey scoffs. Jyn raises an eyebrow and heads to the freezer, pulling out a ziploc bag full of frozen buns and holding it up for her to see. Rey glares at the buns as if they've spawned into existence just to undermine her, but says nothing.</p><p>"So, I'll ask again - is there anything you want to talk to us about?" Jyn asks. "Do you have an exam? Is everything alright with work? Did you have an argument with your friends?" </p><p>"No, no and no," Rey says, sighing. "It's nothing Mum, really. I've just really felt like baking recently. Really." Jyn shoots a sceptical look at her daughter, letting her know that she's unconvinced, but she shrugs and drops the buns back into the freezer drawer. </p><p>"Fine, okay," she says. "As long as you know that <em>if</em> there's anything you want to talk about, you can talk to us?"</p><p>"I know, Mum," Rey says, smiling at her. </p><p>"Good," Jyn nods, grabbing her cup of coffee. "I'm gonna go and finish waking up in bed."</p><p>* * * * *</p><p> Jyn walks briskly up the gravel path that splits the rich green lawn into two neat rectangles. She gets to the smart, red front door and raps smartly with one hand, the other hand holding a large pie covered in tinfoil. </p><p>"Here," she says, as soon as the door opens, thrusting the pie at a surprised Baze. "It's apple." Baze looks from Jyn to the pie and back to Jyn again. </p><p>"What's the catch?" he asks, suspiciously. </p><p>"No catch, Rey is stress baking," Jyn says. Baze's eyes widen in understanding. </p><p>"Say no more," he says.</p><p>"What's going on?" Chirrut calls from inside the house. "Is that Jyn?" </p><p>"Rey is stress baking!" Baze yells back. </p><p>"Again? We only just finished those muffins she made when she had that job interview," Chirrut replies, appearing in the doorway next to his husband. "Mmm, but that <em>does</em> smell good - is that nutmeg?"  </p><p>"How bad is it?" Baze asks Jyn, holding the pie just out of his husband's reach. </p><p>"Well, we have enough baked goods at home to last us through a nuclear war," Jyn says. "And that's only counting what we've managed to stuff into our freezers." </p><p>"That does sound bad," Chirrut agrees. "What's she so stressed about?" </p><p>"Not sure," Jyn shrugs. "She won't say." </p><p>"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing she can't handle," Chirrut says, kindly. "Besides, there are worse coping mechanisms than baking." </p><p>"Yeah, I guess," Jyn says, the corners of her mouth turning up a little in a half-smile. "Anyway, I gotta go - I think I can get my dad to take the cinnamon buns, but that still leaves me with two cheesecakes, a tray full of jam tarts and a pavlova to get rid of."</p><p>"You can probably get Bodhi to take the cheesecakes," Baze suggests. </p><p>"Really? Huh. I didn't know he particularly liked cheesecakes," Jyn asks. </p><p>"He doesn't - but he's still a little scared of you, so he should be fairly easy to convince," Chirrut says. Immediately, Jyn brightens, already considering the cheesecakes to be as good as gone. </p><p>"He is? Excellent!" </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>After over thirty years working in espionage, Cassian <em>knows</em> that he was an excellent intelligence officer. Jyn was also outstanding at her work - but her hair-thin trigger meant that she was (and still is) prone to the 'bursting-in-all-guns-blazing' approach. Cassian has always preferred playing the long game: taking the time to get to know his targets and observe their behaviour, waiting for the perfect moment. </p><p>He doesn't at all view his daughter as a target - but he knows that there's something she's not telling them. So when he walks into the kitchen that evening and finds Rey furiously kneading some dough, flour streaking her cheek and forehead like warpaint, he approaches her the same way he would a nervous informant in some shady back alley.</p><p>"More bread?" he asks, casually. </p><p>"A cinnamon and raisin loaf," Rey corrects him. She pauses, looking between the picture in the open recipe book on the counter next to her and the real thing in front of her. "Hopefully, anyway."</p><p>"Ah," Cassian nods, and allows silence to fall between them. Jyn hates long silences: they make her feel on edge and jumpy. But he feels quite comfortable in them, happy to sit back and let the uneasy quiet do his work for him. </p><p>"I don't stress bake," Rey says, suddenly. </p><p>"I didn't say you did," Cassian replies, lightly. Rey huffs. </p><p>"Mum thinks I do," she says. "And Rose and Finn and Poe." Cassian nods again but doesn't say anything, waiting patiently. "I'm not stressed," she continues, grabbing the rolling pin. "I don't have any exams right now, Leia is a great boss, there are no issues with Finn, Rose or Poe, I'm not having a quarter-life crisis, and I definitely, absolutely <em>do not care</em> what Ben fucking Solo <em>chooses</em> to do with his fucking life!" she growls, rolling the pastry, viciously. Cassian sucks in a quiet breath. <em>There it is</em>.</p><p>"I see," he says, careful to keep his tone impassive. "You know, if you <em>were</em> stress baking, that would be okay. And if you did want to talk about something, we could. Do you want to talk about it?" Rey shakes her head.</p><p>"No, thank you," she says, quietly. "I'm okay - I just need to blow off some steam, I guess."  </p><p>"Okay," Cassian says, rolling up his sleeves. "In that case, let's make this...." he pauses, looking at the flattened dough on the counter. "Did you say it was meant to be bread?" </p><p>"A cinnamon and raisin loaf!" Rey protests, flicking flour at him, halfheartedly. "Though maybe we should just turn it into cookies," she concedes. </p><p>"Sure, we can do that," Cassian says, opening a cupboard and rooting around inside it for some cookie cutters that haven't been used since Rey was a child but that he's fairly sure are still in there <em>somewhere. </em>"I don't know why you're studying engineering when you could just open up a bakery-"</p><p>He feels arms go around his waist, as Rey hugs him tightly. </p><p>"<em>Gracias Papá</em>," she mumbles into his back. Cassian twists around awkwardly to hug her properly. She's only a couple of inches shorter than he is now, but he still kisses the top of her head, like he always used to when she was a child.</p><p>"<em>De nada. Sabes que te quiero?</em>" </p><p>"<em>Sí Papa. <span class="tm-p-">Yo </span><span class="tm-p-em">también te quiero</span></em><em>,</em>" Rey replies. Cassian smiles and wipes the flour off her cheek with his thumb. </p><p>"<em>Bien</em>," he says. "Now let's make these... sorry, was it cumin and raspberry cookies?" </p><p>"<em>Cinnamon and raisin</em>!" </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I submit for the fandom's consideration, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G9_5ZQYXVY">this song</a> as the Andor-Erso family theme song on the basis that a) I've been listening to it a lot lately and b) its lyrics are vaguely space-y.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Mouse Traps & Slingshots</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As quietly as she can, Rey pulls out the slingshot her Uncle Bodhi had given her last Life Day from its pocket on her belt. She's fairly sure that her parents would not approve of her facing off against two dangerous men by herself, and that they absolutely would have taken her with them had they known about their unexpected visitors. <em>But then again</em>, she reasons to herself, as she loads the slingshot and pulls the sling back. <em>It's not like her parents are here</em>...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've been in a bit of a creative rut recently, but then I re-watched the two (because there are <strong>ONLY TWO</strong>) Mummy films last night, and my Andor-Erso family juices began flowing.<br/>This was originally going to just be a The Mummy Returns AU but then I kept adding space stuff and now it's a Star Wars AU in the style of The Mummy Returns... and I am not too mad about it tbh (because listen, we all know that Cassian and Jyn would have been ridiculously proactive about going after potential future threats to their daughter).<br/>If you've seen The Mummy Returns, you'll know which scene this is based on. If you haven't, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoBngEuWM_o">here's a clip of it on Youtube</a> <strike>but please do quarantine properly and watch the full film immediately</strike>.</p><p>Also! I know that Ponda Baba can't really talk per se, but I imagine that people understand what he's saying in the same way that people understand Chewie, even though he doesn't "talk" either.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey watches from her hidden vantage point on top of a ledge, her view of the Death Star's throne room lit perfectly by the sunlight streaming in through the derelict ceiling, ripped open by the elements. The wreckage of the ship lies a few miles out to sea, half-floating, half-submerged. Luckily, it's a calm day outside, but every so often, a particularly big wave crashes against the body of the wreck, sending salty water spraying through the hole above her and making her eyes sting. </p><p>When her parents had told her they were going on an expedition to Kef Bir to search the ruins of the DS-2 Death Star for something called a <em>wayfinder</em>, Rey had used every tool at her ten-year-old self's disposal to convince them to take her too. Jyn and Cassian had relented surprisingly easily - but Rey's excitement at seeing the real-life Death Star had been short-lived, as she had soon discovered that she would only be seeing its throne room. </p><p>Her parents had not budged at all on that. </p><p>"What are you doing down here?" Cassian had demanded when he had caught her trying to sneak down into the bowels of the ship after him. "I told you to wait for us up in the throne room. It's dangerous down here, Rey." </p><p>"But... but..." </p><p>"No, pick up your stuff and I'll see you back in the throne room. <em>Vamos</em>!" There had been a finality to his tone that told her arguing would be useless, and Rey had reluctantly obeyed. </p><p>"But what I am going to do?" she had complained, dragging her feet as she trudged back down the passage. </p><p>"I don't know. Surprise me. Build a better mousetrap - while I try and stop your mother from destroying <em>another</em> wreckage," Cassian had muttered, already heading off in the opposite direction in search of his unchecked wife. </p><p>Rey had built several mousetraps - each more grandiose and complex than the last - before she had heard the sound of footsteps on the roof above her, and had quickly scrambled up the latticework of cables to the unstable ledge she was lying on now. No sooner had she pulled herself out of sight, than three scavengers had entered the room. </p><p>From her lessons with K-2SO and her travels with her parents, Rey can identify a good number of alien species, and she immediately recognises the leader as being a Toydarian, with his short trunk, tusk-like teeth, reptilian eyes and blue, scaley skin. He hovers a little off the ground, his leathery wings flapping rapidly, his feet grazing lazily across the floor. </p><p>"Knock knock. Anyone home?" He calls mockingly, in a croaky voice that makes Rey's own throat feel dry just by listening to it. Of course, she doesn't respond. "You two check out the stuff, see if it's there," he orders his companions, gesturing to the pile of artefacts that Jyn and Cassian have already unearthed from the ship. "I'll sort out Andor and Erso." Rey stifles a gasp of panic as the Toydarian unholsters a blaster and flutters over to the passage that leads to her parents, disappearing out of sight.  </p><p>The other two waste no time with their task, rooting through the items with no degree of care. They're both humanoid but that's where the similarities end. One of them has a hulking body and blubbery skin, and his round head seems to sunk into his body rather than being held up by a distinct neck. She suspects he's a Crolute - but she's never seen one before, so she can't be sure. She has no idea about the other one: he's much thinner and slightly taller, with dark grey skin, bulbous black eyes, pink tusks, and fuzzy, black hair lining his cheeks and jaw.</p><p>"What's this? Look at the state of this rubbish," the thin one grumbles, sifting through the objects. One of his hands is covered in the same black hair that's on his face - the other is cold, shiny metal. <em>He must have a cybernetic arm</em>, Rey thinks with interest and, despite her fear, she wishes that she could get a closer look. "The Empire never had a clue. It's all bantha fodder. Look at that!" The scavenger bends over to more closely examine whatever has caused him so much derision. "Cheap tech, this. Ancient rubbish." </p><p>As quietly as she can, Rey pulls out the slingshot her Uncle Bodhi had given her last Life Day from its pocket on her belt. She's fairly sure that her parents would not approve of her facing off against two dangerous men by herself, and that they absolutely would have taken her with them had they known about their unexpected visitors. <em>But then again</em>, she reasons to herself, as she loads the slingshot and pulls the sling back. <em>It's not like her parents are here</em>... </p><p>Rey lets the stone fly and hits the skinny scavenger directly in the back of the head. He yelps in surprise and pain, while the other one whips around, reaching automatically for his blaster. </p><p>"Unkar, something's hit me in the head!" the scavenger whines. </p><p>"Shut up, Ponda," the other scavenger, apparently named Unkar, snaps, unsympathetically. "This place is cursed. We do not want to wake the Sith." </p><p>The scavenger named Ponda shoots his comrade a reproachful look, but says nothing more and turns back to his pile. rubbing the back of its head. </p><p>"Rubbish. Rubbish. Dosh. Bantha fodder," he mutters, sorting through the stuff with more aggression than before. </p><p>Rey reaches for another stone next to her and pulls back the sling, taking careful aim at the bent-over Ponda, who is unknowingly presenting a clear target. </p><p>
  <em>Bull's eye.</em>
</p><p>"Kriff that hurt!" Ponda howls, shooting straight upright and hopping around, clutching the seat of his trousers where the stone had struck. Rey rolls on her back and lets out a delighted giggle before she can stop herself. She freezes instantly, her hands clasped over her mouth to prevent any more noise escaping, waiting to hear if she's been discovered. But all she hears is the renewed clinking and clattering of the artefacts being moved and Ponda's unhappy grumbling. She breathes a sigh of relief; she'll have to be more careful next time. </p><p>Ponda has moved away from his original spot, and Rey has to lean over the side a little to get a decent aim. Once again, she pulls back the sling and fires...</p><p>... with surprising agility, Unkar whips around and snatches the stone out of the air with his swollen fingers. His small eyes either side of his wide, flattened nose lock onto hers, and Rey scampers back immediately - but it's too late. Ponda sees her too and starts forward, but Unkar grabs his arm, stopping him. </p><p>"I'll take care of this," he says, his slit mouth smiling nastily. Rey jumps to her feet, no need to stay lying down now that she's been discovered, and looks around desperately for another stone to fire or an escape route. But she's all out of stones, and the only way down is the network of cables that Unkar has started to climb. </p><p>"Unkar's gonna make a nice fillet out of you, my girl!" Ponda calls, gleefully, as Unkar's head appears over the top of the ledge, an ugly knife between his thin lips. </p><p>"Oh please, please," Rey whispers to herself. She considers jumping over the side, but then she'd probably only end up breaking her own legs - she doesn't want to do Unkar's job for him. She glances at the passageway, hoping to see her parents run through it at any moment to save her - but they're either too far away to even realise she's in trouble or too busy dealing with the Toydarian, and the passageway remains empty.</p><p>Suddenly, a loud boom echoes from somewhere deep below them in the ship, the sound ricocheting off the walls as it travels up the corridors and passages towards them. The Death Star begins to rock and pitch to the sides, the force of the waves having a greater impact now than they did before. A few seconds later, the Toydarian bursts into the throne room. </p><p>"Ponda! Unkar! Let's get the hell out of here!" he yells, not stopping as he hurtles past them to the exit. Immediately, Ponda starts to follow him. </p><p>"Come on!" he calls to Unkar. Unkar turns to shoot one last, nasty look at Rey before sliding down the cables to the floor. He pulls out his own blaster and fires two shots through the few metal poles supporting the ledge. </p><p>"Farewell!" he yells, mockingly, before running off too. The ledge begins to sway unsteadily with the ship, Rey fighting to keep her balance on top of it. She feels the floor beneath her tilt violently to one side and jumps wildly for the nearest pillar. She lands heavily and, with no ceiling above it to support it, the pillar creaks under weight, slanting dangerously to one side. It knocks into the pillar next to it, which falls into another pillar, and then another, dust and sparks pouring off them in multi-coloured showers as they rip through the wiring and infrastructure of the ship's walls. The domino effect reaches the final pillar, which groans lowly as the pressure increases on it, but ultimately stays standing. </p><p>Rey slides down the pillar and lands inelegantly on the floor, looking at the circle of destruction around her. <em>Her parents are going to kill her</em>. </p><p>The final pillar emits a mournful creak and begins to tilt. Rey takes a deep breath and extends a hand towards it, trying to remember the lessons about the Force that her Uncle Chirrut has taught her. He says that she's something called "force sensitive", and while Rey doesn't really understand what that means, she knows that because of it, she had once managed to stop a bird mid-flight. However, stopping a bird is very different to stopping a pillar. She feels the pillar tremble a little as she makes a connection with it - but ultimately, it's far too heavy and crashes into the wall, gouging a long hole in it as it falls. Rey sprints away, yelling, as a wave of sea water pours through the hole into the throne room... carrying her parents with it.</p><p>The wave brings them to a stop at her feet on the floor, coughing and spluttering. Cassian clutches Jyn tightly with one arm and a ratty old bag with his other hand, unable or unwilling to let go of either. Jyn pushes her long fringe out of her eyes, trying to see where they are and make sure that Cassian is okay. They both look up at Rey, surprise and relief evident in their eyes. Rey takes a deep breath. </p><p>"Mama, Papa, I can explain <em>everything</em>."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><strong>Question:</strong> am I tempted to write a full-length Mummy-style AU with Cassian as Rick, Jyn as Evey, Bodhi as Jonathan, Chirrut/Baze as Ardeth, Rey as Alex, Vader as Imhotep and Palpatine as the Scorpion King?<br/><strong>Answer:</strong> yes, but I am painfully aware that my ideas greatly outweigh the time I can dedicate to them, so if someone wants to beat me to the punch, I won't mind too much <em>hinting shamelessly</em>.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Grandpa Galen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"It's about Rey." </p><p>"Rey?" Immediately, Galen tenses. "Is everything okay?" </p><p>"She's fine. But Cassian and I just got hauled into a meeting with her teacher because apparently Rey was swearing in Danish. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" Galen frowns.</p><p>"No, of course not. What did she say?"</p><p>"<em>Rend mig i røven</em>, <em>Gå ad helvede til</em>, and <em>Din kælling</em>, among others," Jyn lists, with perfect pronunciation. Galen winces as he hears all of the phrases he had yelled at the TV football match repeated back to him, but he covers it up, quickly.</p><p>"And how did the teacher know that she was swearing in Danish?" he demands.</p><p>"She's also Danish, Papa." </p><p>"Ahh," Galen sucks in a breath. "Well, you and Cassian have an excellent taste in schools..." </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This drabble was heavily influenced by my headcanon that modern!Galen Erso is Danish. </p><p>Quick cultural note: "football" here refers to soccer, not American football. </p><p>Also to any Danes reading this: Jeg må innrømme at jeg skriver med et norsk perspektiv, men jeg har prøvd å ikke la norskheten min påvirker meg for mye. Sender masse kjærlighet fra Oslo <strike>til tross for at det av og til er litt vanskelig å forstå dere pga poteten i munnene deres, herregud</strike>. &lt;3 </p><p>See the notes at the bottom for a glossary of all the Danish terms used.</p><p>Remember to keep social distancing for all the <em>bedstefædre</em> and <em>bedstemødre</em> out there! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Friday</strong>
</p><p>Galen Erso had never been one of those parents who nagged their children to no end about grandchildren. Having seen his wife murdered and been held captive in the Eadu mountain range and forced to design weapons for thirteen years, he had just been happy to be united with his daughter again. Gaining a son-in-law had been an added bonus, and they had spent many years as a happy family, just the three of them, and Galen had had no desire for anything to change. </p><p>Then Rey had happened. </p><p>While Galen had not been particularly bothered about grandchildren before, it had not taken him long to fully commit to the grandpa lifestyle. He had bought a rocking chair and a pipe specifically for smoking when he was sitting in it. He had started napping after dinner and actually wearing proper slippers around the house, rather than just padding around in his threadbare socks. He had printed off a photo of Rey for his wallet, which was much bigger than the photo of Jyn and Cassian he already kept there, and would pull it out to show people at the slightest opportunity. He had even momentarily considered growing a beard - until Jyn had gently but ruthlessly killed that idea in its crib. </p><p>However, as much as he had loved Rey from the moment she had entered his life, he had yet to actually <em>bond</em> with her, just the two of them. So when Jyn had asked if he could look after her for a weekend while she and Cassian were on a work trip, he had immediately said yes. </p><p>The week passes both unreasonably quickly and painfully slowly, and before Galen knows it, it's Friday evening and he's standing by his front door, watching Jyn and Cassian say goodbye to their daughter. </p><p>Cassian wraps her up in his arms and smothers her in kisses, Rey wriggling and squealing in fake protest. Jyn is much more solemn, crouching down and pulling her daughter close, holding her tightly for a few moments before kissing her on the forehead and letting her go - the way Lyra used to hug her. Galen feels a pang of loss go through him, followed almost immediately by a wave of uncertainty. </p><p>He hadn't been the most involved father, even before he had been abducted. It wasn't that he hadn't loved Jyn - there had just always been something to fix or create that had dominated his attention. The responsibility of raising Jyn had mostly fallen to Lyra, and when Jyn had reentered his life, she had been a fully grown adult, with no need of further raising. </p><p>For whatever reason, his absence from his daughter's life is one of Galen's biggest regrets - and he had once designed a nuclear bomb capable of obliterating entire countries. He's determined to not make the same mistake with Rey - but how is he supposed to look after a granddaughter when he couldn't even look after his own daughter?</p><p>"Jyn!" he calls after her suddenly, as they're just about to leave. "Uh... do you have any tips?"</p><p>"Tips?" Jyn frowns slightly, one foot already in the car. </p><p>"Yeah... like what she likes? What she eats?" </p><p>"Papa, she's <em>seven</em>," Jyn says, mildly impatiently. "Just don't let her drive a car and don't give her ice-cream after eight or she'll get a stomach ache. You'll be fine." Galen must not have looked very convinced as Jyn sighs. "You could always teach her about Denmark?" she suggests. "You know, introduce her to <em>kanelsnegle</em>, or take her to IKEA?"</p><p>"IKEA is <em>Swedish</em>," Galen says, automatically bristling.</p><p>"I know," Jyn says, grinning. "Your granddaughter probably doesn't though." With that, she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and gets in the car. Galen watches the car drive off down the street, waving half-heartedly until they're out of sight. He sighs and looks down to see Rey staring up at him with wide eyes. </p><p>"Hej <em>Solstråle</em>," he says, a little awkwardly. "Uh... are you hungry?" </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Galen takes a long swig of beer, hoping that it'll calm his nerves a little. In the booth opposite him, Rey mirrors his actions, taking a long slurp from her milkshake. </p><p>A split second after he had offered food, Galen had remembered that the only food he had in the house was beer and rye bread - neither of which were particularly appealing to or appropriate for a seven-year-old. So he had bundled her in his car and they had driven to the nearest diner, which had a sign outside declaring it to be <em>Home of the best burgers in Jedha</em>. Galen had had his suspicions about whether that was the case, but had figured that Rey wouldn't know the difference and ordered them one each. The waitress had grunted in a way that signalled she also doubted that they were the best burgers in Jedha and left them to their awkward silence.</p><p>He clears his throat. </p><p>"So, Rey," he begins. "How's school?" </p><p>"It's okay." </p><p>"You studying hard?" </p><p>"Yes." </p><p>"Do you like your teachers?" </p><p>"I guess."</p><p>"Good, that's... that's good," Galen says. He takes another gulp of his beer, wracking his brains for something to say. He thinks back to Jyn's suggestion about teaching Rey about Denmark - and figures it's worth a shot. "You know how your dad speaks Spanish because he comes from Mexico?" Rey nods. </p><p>"I speak Spanish too!" she tells him, proudly. "Papá taught me." </p><p>"That's great," Galen smiles. "Well, I come from a place called Denmark. Would you like to learn some Danish too?" </p><p>Rey considers, mulling the thought over as she stirs her milkshake. </p><p>"Can Mum speak Danish?" she asks. </p><p>"A little," Galen nods. "But her mother was English and I didn't really spend enough time with her to teach her much Danish." </p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Well," Galen pauses, unsure how much of his traumatic backstory is appropriate to reveal to a child. "You know how you like making things? Well I loved building things so much that I was often really busy. And then some bad men came and took me away so I couldn't see Jyn. But we're all back together now and that's all that matters," he finishes, hastily. Rey stirs her milkshake thoughtfully, absorbing the information, and Galen holds his breath, preparing for the onslaught of follow-up questions. But Rey seems to accept his explanation, as she nods, solemnly. </p><p>"So it would be like a secret language?" she asks. "Between the two of us?"</p><p>"Yes," Galen says, deciding not to mention the almost six million Danes in the world who also speak this secret language. Rey brightens immediately. </p><p>"Okay!" she agrees, readily. </p><p>"Great!" Galen beams. "I guess I should probably teach you what grandpa is first. It's <em>bedstefar</em>." </p><p>"<em>Bedstefar</em>," Rey repeats, slowly, as if considering how the word tastes. </p><p>"Exactly," Galen says, brimming with pride both for his granddaughter for learning the word so quickly and for himself for teaching it successfully. Rey smiles back. </p><p>"Can I have another milkshake?" she asks. </p><p>"Of course!" Galen says. "You can have anything you want, <em>Solstråle - </em>except for that, you can't have that!" he adds, as Rey promptly reaches for his beer. </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Later that night, Galen is sitting in the back room he uses as a workshop, fiddling with an antique clock that he's meant to be fixing for a client. He prefers working at night with the windows wide open, no matter the weather, listening to the soothing silence of the nighttime world around him. A sudden creak from the floorboards makes him turn, and he sees Rey in the doorway, rubbing her eyes, with what looks like a green teddy tucked under her arm. </p><p>"<em>Solstråle</em>? What are you doing up?" he asks, in surprise. </p><p>"My belly hurts," Rey replies.</p><p>"Ah," Galen says, thinking of the three milkshakes she had for dinner and kicking himself as he finally remembers Jyn's warning about ice-cream after eight. "Well... do you want to sit up with me for a bit?" Rey nods and pads into the room. She pulls herself onto Galen's lap and looks with interest at the dismantled clock on the table in front of them. </p><p>"What's this?" she asks. </p><p>"It's a weight-driven clock."</p><p>"Are you making it?" </p><p>"I'm fixing it," Galen corrects her. "Someone put in the wrong pendulum bob, so the pendulum doesn't swing properly, which means that the clock doesn't tick properly. See?" he shows her, flicking the internal mechanism lightly with his tweezers. He's almost convinced that Rey doesn't understand what he's saying, but to his surprise, she nods anyway, taking it all in. </p><p>"I like fixing things too," she tells him, thrusting the teddy in his face. "And making things. I made this with my Uncle Baze. Well... he made most of it, but I helped! A lot!" </p><p>"Really?" Galen asks, looking at the green teddy with interest. It's not the most conventional teddy, but he supposes it's cute in its own way. It has a small, winkly face featuring big, oval, black eyes and long, bat-like ears that stick out vertically from either side of its head. The majority of its body is shrouded in a brown, felt cloak, but the skin he can see is a soft, milky green. "Maybe we can make something together?"  </p><p>"Yes please!" Rey says, eagerly. "I wanna make a sword!" </p><p>"A sword?" Galen repeats, mildly thrown by the request. "Why do you want a sword?" </p><p>"So the bad men can't take you away again," Rey says, promptly. Galen gulps: he doesn't think Jyn will thank him if he single-handedly convinces Rey that bad men could take them away at any moment. </p><p>"The bad men are gone, <em>Solstråle</em>. No one is going to take me away... or you, or your mum or dad. I promise," he says, reassuringly. "But we can make a sword - just in case." </p><p>"Okay," Rey says, smiling. She yawns and leans against his chest, hugging her teddy close. "I want a magic sword," she mutters, before falling asleep.</p><p>
  <strong>Saturday</strong>
</p><p>They spend the entirety of Saturday morning sketching out ideas for Rey's sword. In keeping with the idea of a magic sword, Rey really wants it to be yellow and to glow in the dark and while Galen hadn't been prepared for such a futuristic design, his mind still begins to whirr with ideas for how he can make Rey's ideas a reality. </p><p>They stop around midday for some lunch and because Galen has remembered that there's a football game on, and his home team of Grange is playing against Coruscant. He tries to get Rey interested in the game too, figuring that a love of football is another aspect of Danish culture. She watches obligingly for the first fifteen minutes, but soon gets fidgety and wanders back off to the workshop. Galen lets her go, too engrossed in the match to go with her: it isn't often that Grange gets the chance to play against a team like Coruscant and if they win, it could mark their official transition to the big leagues. </p><p>He's so caught up in the game that he doesn't notice Rey reappearing in the doorway until she speaks. </p><p>"<em>Bedstefar</em>, can I use your <em>cuchillo</em>?" she asks. </p><p>"What?" Galen asks, distractedly, trying to keep one eye tracking the progress of the game: the ball is being kicked around dangerously close to Grange's goal and there's only a couple of minutes left until the half-time break. </p><p>"Your <em>cuchillo</em>. You know?" Rey makes a strange, chopping movement with her hands, presumably demonstrating what a <em>cuchillo</em> is.</p><p>"Uh sure, <em>Solstråle</em>," he replies, before yelling and swearing in outrage as a poorly aimed kick from a Grange player results in a humiliating own goal. </p><p>"<em>Tak!</em>" Rey chirps, happily, before skipping out the room. Galen sinks back in his chair, running his hands through his hair in dismay as half-time is called, with Grange now lagging a whole two goals behind Coruscant. As a slow-motion replay of the goal plays, just to really rub salt into the wound, he thinks back to what Rey asked. <em>What was a </em>cuchillo<em>? </em>He pulls out his phone and dials Cassian's number. Cassian picks up on the first ring. </p><p>"Galen, I'm a bit busy!" he hisses. "Is Rey okay?" </p><p>"What does <em>cuchillo</em> mean?"</p><p>"... what?"</p><p>"<em>Cuchillo</em>. What does <em>cuchillo</em> mean?" Galen repeats, trying to mimic Rey's pronunciation as closely as possible.</p><p>"Knife," Cassian says, his tone becoming increasingly wary. "Why -" But Galen has already hung up.</p><p>"Rey!" he yells, leaping out of his chair and bounding out the room. "Stay <em>away</em> from the knives, <em>for fanden</em>!"</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>They order in for food that evening and eat it on the sofa together, while watching <em>The Little Mermaid</em>. Galen isn't usually a fan of Disney movies - not because he has anything against them in terms of principles, but because the damn songs get stuck in his head like fast-setting cement, and he knows that he'll be humming "Under the sea" non-stop for at least the next two weeks - but since <em>The Little Mermaid </em>is based on a Danish fairy tale, he figures that it counts as part of Rey's Danish education... even if it is considerably sanitised. Besides, Rey had begged him to watch it and Galen is far too much of a realist to try and convince himself that he would be able to refuse her anything. </p><p>"You know," he says, between mouthfuls of fries. "There's a statue of <em>The Little Mermaid</em> in Copenhagen." Rey's mouth falls open, an avalanche of half-chewed pizza tumbling out of it. </p><p>"Really?" she asks. "Can we go see her one day?"</p><p>"Sure!" Galen agrees. "We call her <em>Den lille Havfrue</em>." Rey's nose scrunches up.</p><p>"Not Ariel?" she asks, doubtfully. </p><p>"No," Galen chuckles. "She's only called Ariel in this movie. The original version was written by a man called Hans Christian Andersen - he was Danish. In that story, she's just called the little mermaid." </p><p>"Oh," Rey's brow wrinkles into a sceptical frown - clearly not impressed by Mr Andersen's creativity in naming his protagonist. "Is the original story very different?" </p><p>"In some ways," Galen nods. "She still falls in love with a prince and makes a deal with a sea witch to become human - but every time she walks on her legs, it feels like little knives are stabbing her, so it's really painful. And if she doesn't get the prince to fall in love with her, she'll die of a broken heart and become sea foam, blinking out of existence..." he trails off as he realises that Rey is staring at him, a look of unparalleled horror on her face. "But no one really likes that version," he assures her, quickly, grabbing the remote. "How about we watch the "Under the sea" song again?" </p><p>
  <strong>Sunday</strong>
</p><p>"And what do we call Norwegians?" </p><p>"<em>Fjellaper</em>." </p><p>"<em>Fantastisk - tag en anden vaffel</em>!"  Galen says, scooping another waffle onto Rey's plate. It's her sixth waffle of the morning, but she attacks it with merciless enthusiasm. Galen watches, bemused that so much food can fit inside such a small child. He's pretty sure that excessive amounts of waffles topped with cream and jam aren't the healthiest breakfast - but if he as her grandfather can't overindulge her, who can? </p><p>All the same, he's mildly relieved that Jyn and Cassian turn up just as Rey has finished licking the plate clean of any evidence of her sugary feast. </p><p>"Mum! Papá!" Rey crows, launching herself at them from her chair. Jyn and Cassian are both wearing the same clothes that Galen had seen them in on Friday and look as if they haven't slept all weekend, but they brighten instantly when they see Rey, catching her in their arms and squeezing tightly. Galen busies himself with clearing their plates from the table and tries not to think about whether he had been equally successful at detaching from his work around Jyn when she was a girl... especially when he knows in his gut that he hadn't been.   </p><p>"Did you miss us, <em>mija</em>?" Cassian asks, holding Rey up, while Jyn smooths her hair. </p><p>"Papá! It was only two days!" Rey protests with mock exasperation. </p><p>"Really? But it feels like you've grown so much - you're so much heavier now!" Cassian teases, pretending to drop her and making Rey squeal in delight. </p><p>"Maybe that's just all the waffles she's had," Jyn says, wiping jam away from the corners of Rey's mouth and casting a knowing look at the waffle maker on the table. Galen shrugs, repentantly. </p><p>"You suggested teaching her about Danish culture!" he says. "And I seem to remember <em>someone</em> asking for waffles for breakfast at least five times a week, and you turned out fine!" </p><p>"Of course - it meant spending time with you," Jyn replies, promptly. Galen physically aches under the weight of her words, the pain starting in his heart and radiating out through his body, so that he almost drops the plates. Luckily, Jyn and Cassian seem to be too distracted by Rey to notice.</p><p>"<em>Bedstefar</em> taught me Danish!" she crows, proudly. </p><p>"Really? Does that mean you and Mama are going to speak about me in Danish now?" Cassian asks. </p><p>"It'll make a change from you two speaking about me in Spanish," Jyn grumbles, good-naturedly. </p><p>"Don't worry Papá, I can teach you too!" Rey reassures him. "<em>And Bedstefar</em> is helping me make a sword!"</p><p>"A sword?" Jyn repeats.</p><p>"To keep the bad men away," Rey nods. </p><p>"I see," Jyn says, shooting a look at Galen, who suddenly becomes very interested in examining the pattern on the plates. "Can I see this sword?" </p><p>"It's not finished yet! <em>Bedstefar</em> says I can come back and he'll help me finish it - right? You promise, right?" Rey asks, suddenly, twisting in her father's arms to look at her grandpa for reassurance, her eyes wide with worry.</p><p>"Of course, I promise," Galen reassures her. Maybe he's just overthinking things, but he swears he notices Jyn shuffle awkwardly at his words and imagines that she's remembering all the promises he had made to her and never kept. Rey, however, has none of that scepticism and beams at him, her face a picture of unquestioning trust. <em>It'll be different this time</em>, Galen swears to himself, not for the first time that weekend. </p><p>"Right, well we had better go - your mother and I need to get home and get some rest... not to mention a shower," Cassian says, setting Rey down. "Go say thank you and goodbye to your grandpa." Galen crouches down to her level, allowing Rey to hug him easily.</p><p>"<em>Tak, Bedstefar</em>,"  she says. </p><p>"<em>Det var så lidt, Solstråle</em>," he replies. Her arms are a little too tight around his neck, constricting his airway so that he has to force the words out, but Galen doesn't mind. Rey lets go and heads back to Cassian, taking his hand as they leave the room, chatting enthusiastically to each other. Jyn hangs back a little. Galen waits, bracing himself for the impact of the words he's been dreading to hear her say ever since he was taken to Eadu. </p><p>"Thank you for looking after her," she says, instead. </p><p>"Of course," Galen says. He takes a deep breath. "Stardust - I..."</p><p>"It's okay, Papa," Jyn cuts him off, shaking her head. "I know."</p><p>"You do?" Galen asks, uncertainly. "Well... as long as you do." </p><p>"I do. I promise," Jyn reassures him. She smiles and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you later, okay?" Galen grins. </p><p>"I'd like that," he says. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Monday</strong>
</p><p>Galen sits at his work desk, a pair of glasses perched on his nose, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he tries to solder a tiny yellow light bulb into the hilt of Rey's sword. He had promised Rey that they could work on the sword together next time she visits, but had figured that he would get all the fiddly bits done for her. Just as he finishes, his phone vibrates on the desk next to him, Jyn's name lighting up on the screen. </p><p>"Hej Stardust," he greets her. </p><p>"Hey Papa," Jyn responds. "Do you have time for a quick chat?"</p><p>"For you? Always," Galen replies, setting down his soldering iron. "What's up?"</p><p>"It's about Rey." </p><p>"Rey?" Immediately, Galen tenses. "Is everything okay?" </p><p>"She's fine. But Cassian and I just got hauled into a meeting with her teacher because apparently Rey was swearing in Danish. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" Galen frowns.</p><p>"No, of course not. What did she say?"</p><p>"<em>Rend mig i røven</em>, <em>Gå ad helvede til</em>, and <em>Din kælling</em>, among others," Jyn lists, with perfect pronunciation. Galen winces as he hears all of the phrases he had yelled at the TV football match repeated back to him, but he covers it up, quickly.</p><p>"And how did the teacher know that she was swearing in Danish?" he demands.</p><p>"She's also Danish, Papa." </p><p>"Ahh," Galen sucks in a breath. "Well, you and Cassian have an excellent taste in schools..." </p><p>"Papa!" Jyn sighs, heavily. "I know you probably didn't <em>mean</em> to teach her those words, but the kid's a human sponge. You gotta be careful what you say around her. One time she caught five minutes of The Godfather and the next thing I know she's pretending she's Vito Corelone and gunning down her toys in her bedroom." </p><p>"Got it," Galen says, meekly. "Sorry for causing you trouble, Stardust. </p><p>"It's fine," Jyn says. "It's just so you know for next time." </p><p>"Next time?" Galen brightens immediately.</p><p>"Oh yes," Jyn laughs. "Rey has claimed all your weekends for the foreseeable future... I hope that's alright." </p><p>Galen knows she's joking, but once the phone call is over, he still clears every single weekend on his calendar - just in case. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>bedstefar = grandpa<br/>solstråle = sunshine / sunbeam (I figured that Galen wouldn't call Rey "stardust" as he calls Jyn that, but "sunshine" is in the same vein, and relates back to her name soooo)<br/>kanelsnegle = cinnamon roll<br/>tak = thank you<br/>for fanden = damn it / for god's sake<br/>fjellape = lit. mountain ape (used "affectionately" to describe Norwegians because Norway has mountains <strike>whereas if Denmark got any more flat, it would be 2D</strike>)<br/>fantastisk - tag en anden vaffel = fantastic - have another waffle<br/>det var så lidt = you're welcome (lit. it was so little)<br/>rend mig i røven = fuck me (in the arse)<br/>gå ad helvede til = go to hell<br/>din kælling = you bitch</p><p>P.S. Yes, Rey has a baby yoda teddy bear :D<br/></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Quarantine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Hi Papa." Immediately, Cassian's eyes snap open and he and spins around, a smile already spreading across his face. He remembers when the holographic technology was much less stable, distorting the person with flickering scan lines and covering them in a blue filter. But Rey looks as solid and detailed as if she were standing in the room with him. </p><p>"Rey," he says, warmly. "It's good to see you. How's life on the Falcon?" Rey pulls a face. </p><p>"Crowded," she admits. "I think the only reason Leia hasn't killed anyone yet is because the Resistance can't afford to lose any more people." </p><p>"Not sure that'll stop your mother from deactivating a certain droid if this goes on for much longer," he says, dryly.</p><p>"K-2 struggling in quarantine?" Rey asks, grinning knowingly. </p><p>"Not as much as we're struggling in quarantine with him," Cassian mutters.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><em><strong>Note:</strong> This drabble involves characters being quarantined in the middle of a space pandemic. This is still definitely a fluff drabble and the space pandemic is nothing more than a framing device - but if reading or thinking about quarantine or anything remotely corona related triggers your anxiety, please skip this one &lt;3 </em><br/>Credit to <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/zAEeiU2">this image</a> and the living hell that is quarantine in 2020 (characterised mainly by toilet paper anxiety and spaces suddenly feeling <em>a helluva lot smaller than they used to</em>... ) as inspiration for this drabble (but it's still fluff <strike>with a healthy dose of angst</strike>, I <em>promise</em>).</p><p>Stay strong lads! </p><p>Star Wars AU set sometime after The Last Jedi.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cassian leans back in the pilot's seat, sipping coffee from his flask and staring out at the distant stars as they drift aimlessly through space. </p><p>About a week ago, they had landed at Canto Bight, on the tail of an arms dealer who claimed to be selling copies of Galen Erso's original plans for the death star. The mission had been a success; they had managed to catch the guy, a snivelling Toydarian that not even Jyn had had the heart to punch, and intercept the plans, which had turned out to be fake. But shortly after, a space plague had broken out on Catonica, condemning everyone who had landed on the planet in the past month to spending two weeks in quarantine on their respective ships. </p><p>Cassian wonders whether he would've still made the same call to follow the arms dealer if he known about the space plague beforehand. But then he thinks about how they had literally run into Leia Organa's Resistance, his daughter among them, when chasing the Toydarian through one of Canto Bight's many casinos and realises that he would spend a whole <em>year</em> in quarantine if it meant getting to spend a few minutes with Rey. </p><p>That said, according to the ship's clock, they're on day eight and he is starting to feel a little... <em>claustrophobic</em>. The Zeta-class cargo shuttle that the hastily-named <em>Rogue One</em> crew had requisitioned from the Galactic Empire around thirty-five years ago is a fair amount bigger than the more modern models. It has two levels: the control deck on top and the cargo deck below, with a couple of storage cupboards and a <em>very</em> tiny bathroom. However, after spending seven days cooped up inside with four other people and a droid, the space only feels smaller with every passing hour. </p><p>Right now though, he has a rare moment of peace. Everyone else is in the lower deck; Chirrut and K-2 are locked in a 3D chess match, Baze is busy cleaning his canon for the fifth time today, and Jyn and Bodhi are playing an increasingly violent game of Snap. </p><p>Cassian stretches back, his spine cracking audibly, and closes his eyes. If he concentrates hard enough, he can almost convince himself that he's on a tropical beach in some distant galaxy, that the constant drone of the engines around him is the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and that the recycled, slightly stale air blowing in his face from the vent is a refreshing, salty sea breeze. </p><p>His fantasy is interrupted by a melody of electronic, signalling an incoming hologram. He groans, reluctant to open his eyes, trying to stay on his private beach for just a little while longer... </p><p>"Hi Papa." Immediately, Cassian's eyes snap open and he spins around, a smile already spreading across his face. He remembers when holographic technology was much less stable, distorting the person with flickering scan lines and covering them in a blue filter. But Rey looks as solid and detailed as if she were standing in the room with him. </p><p>"Rey," he says, warmly. "It's good to see you. How's life on the Falcon?" Rey pulls a face. </p><p>"Crowded," she admits. "I think the only reason Leia hasn't killed anyone yet is because the Resistance can't afford to lose any more people." </p><p>"Not sure that'll stop your mother from deactivating a certain droid if this goes on for much longer," he says, dryly.   </p><p>"K-2 struggling in quarantine?" Rey asks, grinning knowingly. </p><p>"Not as much as we're struggling in quarantine with him," Cassian mutters, thinking back to the day before when he had given an inaccurate estimate about the location of a planet they were passing, and the droid had spent two hours detailing exactly how he was wrong and why they would've all - with the exception of K-2 - ended up dying horribly in the cold, dark vacuum of space because of it. By the time it was over, dying horribly in the cold, dark vacuum of space had started to sound like a pretty appealing option to Cassian.</p><p>"If it's any consolation, C3PO keeps updating us on our toilet paper stock every two hours," Rey offers, sympathetically. "Apparently he thinks it's something that we're anxious about." </p><p>"Are you?" Cassian asks. </p><p>"Not really," Rey shrugs. "But I guess worrying about something you can control, like toilet paper, is easier than worrying about something you can't... like a space pandemic." </p><p>"That's very wise," Cassian nods. "You must get it from your father." </p><p>"Don't let Mama hear you say that!" </p><p>"Don't let me hear him say what?" Jyn demands, her head bobbing into view as she climbs the ladder to join them in the cockpit. </p><p>"Nothing," Rey and Cassian say, simultaneously. Jyn rolls her eyes. </p><p>"You definitely get that from your father," she mutters, going to sit in the other pilot chair.</p><p>"What happened to your card game with Bodhi?" Cassian asks. Jyn snorts. </p><p>"Yeah, well, it stopped being fun once K-2 and Chirrut decided that chess wasn't challenging enough and started competing to see if they could predict the cards before we played them," she huffs, shaking her head a little, as if physically trying to shake her irritation away, before turning to Rey with a softness reserved only for her. "How are you doing, Stardust?" </p><p>"Hanging in there," Rey says. "We're trying to conserve water, so I haven't showered in five days - it's lucky that holographic imaging doesn't transmit smell."</p><p>"Even if it did, I don't think you'd need to worry - it doesn't exactly smell of roses in here," Jyn assures her. "The first thing I'm going to do once this quarantine is lifted is find the nearest waterworld and crash this whole damn ship into it."  </p><p>"Sounds like a plan," Cassian agrees, enthusiastically. The image of his tropical beach reappears in his mind, this time with the addition of him holding a cocktail with a little umbrella in it and watching Jyn and Rey try to build the biggest sandcastle they can before the tide comes in. It's not the crashing waves that interrupt them, however - it's the arrival of Bodhi. </p><p>"No, no, no!" he insists as he emerges from the deck below. "You're absolutely wrong! Cassian, tell him he's wrong!" He reaches the control deck and immediately whirls around to confront K-2, who is following him up the ladder and is clearly the source of his irritation. </p><p>"Multiple people telling me I'm wrong doesn't make you right," the droid tells him, with his infuriatingly pragmatic tone. Bodhi turns to Cassian for backup, but Cassian has absolutely no desire to be drawn into this argument. His wife on the other hand leaps at the possibility of K-2 being wrong about something for once.</p><p>"What's he wrong about?" Jyn asks. </p><p>"He thinks that X-wings are obsolete and the Resistance should only use A-wings to escort the Bombers instead," Bodhi scoffs, folding his arms and glaring at K-2. </p><p>"I don't think anything. I <em>know</em>," K-2 corrects him, "You're just blinded by your affection for machines, and while I acknowledge that that normally works in my favour, in this case it is making you irrational and unable to look at the situation objectively." </p><p>"I'll show you irrational," Bodhi retorts, petulantly. "I'll - Rey!" he declares, suddenly, his face brightening as he finally realises that there's an extra person in the room. "How's my favourite co-pilot?"</p><p>"Not bad," Rey replies, bemused. "How about you?"</p><p>"Eh... can't complain... I mean, not like this is the Millennium Falcon or anything..." Bodhi trails off, his feigned nonchalance barely disguising his obvious dig for information about one of the most famous starships in the galaxy - at least, in resistance circles. </p><p>"I got to pilot it the other day," Rey tells him, eagerly. "Poe let me take over for a bit."</p><p>"What? No way! How was it? Did you use the hyperdrive? I hear the SSP05 has a real kick compared to the Avatar-10!" Bodhi demands, excitedly. </p><p>"We haven't used it recently - but I got to fire the AG-2G quad laser cannons on Crait and they work <em>amazingly</em>." </p><p>"<em>Seriously</em>?" </p><p>"Okay," Cassian cuts in, before Bodhi can let loose with the barrage of questions that are already visibly forming in his mouth. "Maybe you guys can talk about Falcon engine specifications at a later date -"</p><p>"Why is everyone up here?" Baze demands, pulling himself up through the hatch in one swift movement before reaching back down to gently guide Chirrut through. Chirrut may be blind but they've spent enough time on the ship that he can definitely move around it without help. But Baze always does anyway - and Chirrut never objects. </p><p>"Oh good, you're all here," Cassian says, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. As much as he can understand everyone's excitement at seeing Rey, he can't help but feel annoyed at their intrusion on what is his first proper conversation with his daughter in months. Jyn catches his eye from her chair and gives a slight nod, indicating that she echoes his feelings. </p><p>"Rey," Chirrut greets her, not needing to be told that she's there. "I thought I felt your presence." </p><p>"Master Chirrut," Rey replies, bowing respectfully. Cassian notices Jyn rolling her eyes and bites the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from smiling. He has never been a massive fan of the Jedi; to him, they were the poetic remnants of the old Galactic Empire - thrilling to read about but ultimately irrelevant to the problems and struggles of the real world. But his feelings pale in comparison to Jyn's visceral dislike of anything to do with the Jedi... not that she would ever say that to Rey. </p><p>Cassian knows that most of it stems from an anxiety that the Jedi path will lead Rey to the same, dead or dark place that it seems to have lead every Jedi before her. But he also knows that the crystal Jyn wears around her neck is a khyber crystal, and that maybe thinking about the Jedi hits a little too close to home for her. </p><p>"How's your training going?" Chirrut asks. </p><p>"Not very well, currently," Rey admits. "It's a bit difficult to focus, given the current circumstances."</p><p>"Understandable," Chirrut nods. "Still, you feel stronger, Little One. In time, I have no doubt that you'll even be able to accomplish what your father and mother never could and beat me in a fight."</p><p>"Never say never," Jyn intones, smiling sweetly, even with the unmistakable challenge lacing her words. Chirrut chuckles, far from intimated. </p><p>"We miss you, Little One," Baze booms. "It's been too long."</p><p>"You saw me a week ago - that's why we're all cooped up in quarantine, remember?" Rey teases. </p><p>"Excuse me, I don't consider a five-minute chat in-between pursuing an arms dealer and running away from casino guards as sufficient quality family time," Cassian objects. </p><p>"Really? Sounds fairly normal for our family," Jyn points out, dryly.</p><p>"No, Papa's right," Rey says, apologetically. "It's been a little while since I talked to you properly -" </p><p>"Technically, it's been precisely forty-two weeks, five days, seven hours, eight minutes and -" K-2 cuts off, abruptly, as Cassian promptly lobs his coffee cup at him, which smashes on the wall just behind K-2's head. "Well, that was unnecessary," the droid comments. </p><p>"Has it really been that long?" Rey winces. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Don't apologise," Jyn tells her, firmly, shooting a murderous look at the droid. "We know what it's like being part of a resistance." </p><p>"Well... it's not just the resistance," Rey admits, threading her fingers together, nervously. "I've been trying to figure out some stuff... about me... I'm worried..." she pauses, and glances around her, apparently checking that she's alone in the room she's in on the Falcon. "I'm worried there's something... <em>dark</em> in me" she says, her voice trembling slightly.</p><p>When he had worked as a spy for the Rebel Alliance, Cassian had successfully managed to isolate his emotional responses behind a steel wall; it was war, and there was no room for sentimentality in war. Then he had met Jyn and become part of Rogue One, and the impenetrable wall had slowly but surely started to weaken. Once he had become a father to Rey, those steel walls had crumpled like tin foil under the force of the emotions that surged through him. Now, seeing the evident fear on Rey's face, the urge to reach out to his daughter is strong enough that the vast reams of space between them seem like nothing, and for a moment, he almost believes that if he hugs her, she'll be real and solid in his arms. </p><p>But, as real as she looks, she's still a hologram. So, he tries to channel all his feelings of warmth and comfort into his voice instead. </p><p>"<em>Mija</em>," he says, calling to her in his native language of Festian. "We <em>all </em>have darkness in us. But what matters is whether you choose to do the right thing <em>in spite of</em> that darkness. That's what makes you who you are." </p><p>"And what if I don't know who I am?" Rey asks, quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Cassian notices Jyn's grip tighten on the arms of her chair, and knows that she's battling with the same emotions that he is.</p><p>"Sure you do," he insists, gently. "You're Rey."</p><p>"Isn't that a bit simplistic?" Rey asks, furrowing her brow, sceptically. </p><p>"Maybe," Cassian concedes. "But it's more than enough." The others echo his statement, nodding enthusiastically and murmuring their agreement. There's still a flicker of doubt in Rey's eyes, but the worry etched on her face melts away under their certainty. </p><p>"Okay," she says, nodding and giving a small smile. "I guess you're right. Thank you."  </p><p>A sudden bang makes everyone jump, and Cassian spends a good few seconds looking around frantically to see what had exploded, before he realises that the noise is coming from Rey's end. </p><p>"...<em> No</em>, you can't go outside... yes, I <em>know</em> it's confusing, that's why you need to listen to me - I'm <em>trying</em> to explain it to you!... No, <em>don't</em> listen to the First kriffing Order, <em>listen to me</em>!" Rey shuffles to one side and a man with dark curly hair and a communicator pressed to his ear materialises in the room next to her. Cassian has met Poe Dameron a few times before, but even if he hadn't, he looks so remarkably like his father, Kes, that Cassian would instantly recognise him as the son of his old friend. "Oh - hey!" Poe says, giving a quick wave to everyone in the room before turning to Rey. "Rey, I'm really sorry, can I use the hologram? I need to parent my father." </p><p>"Sure!" Rey agrees, readily. "I'll call you guys later? I promise not to wait forty-two weeks this time." </p><p>"Sounds great," Jyn nods. "We love you, Stardust." The rest of the squad wave their goodbyes, and Rey waves back, her eyes meeting each of theirs in turn, before settling on Cassian. He smiles at her, reassuringly.</p><p>"No - goddammit Papa, <em>just stay on your spaceship</em>!" Poe near screams into his communicator, just as the hologram cuts out and he and Rey blink out of existence.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <strike>Can you tell that I'm still extremely bitter about that "Rey Skywalker" ending of TROS?</strike>
</p><p>Is your parent more of a Cassian or a Kes in quarantine? For the most part, my dad is a Cassian - though he definitely has had his Kes moments:<br/><strong>Dad:</strong> I went out for a coffee the other day<br/><strong>Me:</strong> Yeah, please don't do that again.<br/><strong>Dad:</strong> What? I enjoyed myself.<br/><strong>Me:</strong> Great. I'll be sure to say that at your funeral - that at least you enjoyed yourself.<br/><strong>Dad:</strong> :D </p><p>(It's hard to feel too irritated with my dad though, as he has to try and keep my grandma in the house... Kes Dameron's got nothing on her.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>